10/7/2013 - SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- As part of the continuing plan to turn the Bitburg Air Base Annex back over to the local community, the commissary will cease operations on Nov. 1.

"This is just one of the steps in the evolution of the Bitburg Annex," said Lt. Col. Chad Morris, 52nd Mission Support Group deputy commander. "In this fiscally constrained environment, the economics of keeping the store open just doesn't make sense."

According to a Defense Commissary Agency survey, the Bitburg commissary experienced an 85 percent drop in monthly sales over the last year.

The 52nd Fighter Wing requested closure of the store in December 2012, in line with scheduled plans to turn over the base annex to the city of Bitburg in 2016. The wing recently received the approval of the DeCA Board of Directors and the Acting Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to proceed with the commissary closure.

Remaining Bitburg families frequent Spangdahlem for services not provided at the annex as a result of the ongoing annex turnover. Those trips for mail or the Base Exchange often included trips for groceries at the base commissary.

In line with the planned closure, current Bitburg residents still have access to the annex's gas station and convenience store. Additionally, Spangdahlem's commissary increased cold storage by 50 percent and redesigned its shelving a year ago to better accommodate an influx in sales.

"The best news is that there are plans to build a new Commissary on Spangdahlem specifically designed to meet the needs of the Saber Nation," Morris said. "Construction on the new Commissary is scheduled to begin in 2014, with a tentative opening in 2016."

For more information about the closure, contact the Spangdahlem Commissary at 452-6606.

Comments

10/8/2013 5:33:45 AM ETOne of the reasons for the 85 percent drop in sales is do the the reduction in size of the aisles and the grocery product choices. Went shopping there last weekend only half of the things I needed on my list were at the Bitburg Commissary. Had to go to Spangdahlem Commissary to get the rest.